The present invention is directed to a cutting tool. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a wear resistant cubic-boron-nitride-based cutting tool (hereinafter referred to as "C-BN based") which can be sintered in an ultra-high-pressure atmosphere.
A cutting tool formed from the C-BN based material of the present invention exhibits improved toughness and superior wear. Such a cutting tool is also longer lasting and resistant to damage such as chipping and breaking of the cutting edge while in continuous and discontinuous use. In recent years, a demand for factory automation has created a need for high speed cutting tools that can be utilized for cutting spherical graphite, cast iron and similar products. As such, the cutting tools are required to be longer lasting, tougher and more wear resistant.
Prior art C-BN based cutting tools are plagued by numerous drawbacks. Chief among them is their inability to continuously cut spheroidal graphite caste iron in an industrial setting. Notwithstanding the toughness of prior art cutting tools, such cutting tools are prone to breakage and chipping of their cutting edges while continuously cutting iron. This drawback, in turn, impairs their usefulness and substantially shortens their lifespan.
The shortened life span, in turn, increases the overall cost of using prior art C-BN based cutting tools in both the cost of replacement of cutting tools and the cost of machine downtime and labor required to replace worn tools.